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US Senator John McCain addressing a press conference in Kabul earlier this year.—AFP/File

WASHINGTON: US Senator John McCain has unveiled his long-promised strategy for Afghanistan, which threatens “imposing graduated diplomatic, military, and economic costs on Pakistan” if it continues to provide the alleged support and sanctuary to terrorist and insurgent groups, including the Taliban and the Haqqani Network.

The strategy, issued on Thursday afternoon as an amendment to next fiscal year’s defence bill, includes providing additional US troops for counter-terrorism missions. It also allows US advisers to work closer to the front lines with Afghan officers and giving US commanders a broader authority to target Taliban insurgents, Islamic State militants and other militias.

Senator McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Com­mittee, has long threatened to force a strategy on the administration if it doesn’t come up with one to win the 16-year-old war. Mr McCain said some of America’s “most experienced and respected former military and intelligence officials” contributed to this strategy.

Besides threatening Pakistan with new sanctions, the proposed policy also outlines the potential benefits of a long-term US-Pakistan strategic partnership that could result from Pakistan’s cessation of support for all terrorist and insurgent groups and constructive role in bringing about a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Afghanistan.

The plan suggests a regional dialogue including Afghanistan, Pak­istan, China, India, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and other nations to promote Afghan political reconciliation.

It proposes intensifying US regional diplomatic efforts working through flexible frameworks to encourage this dialogue to advance regional cooperation on issues such as border security, intelligence sharing, counter-narcotics, transportation, and trade. Senator McCain hopes that this would “reduce mistrust and build confidence among regional states”.

Last month, the US Department of Defence also issued a report, “Enhancing Security and Stability in Afghanistan”, which recognises Pakistan as “the most influential external actor affecting Afghan stability and the outcome of both the US and Nato missions” and suggests using both carrot and stick to achieve its cooperation.

And last week, US National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster indicated that a new US strategy for Afghanistan may include this “carrot and stick” approach. The White House, which has a team of experts working on the new strategy, had promised to release it by mid-July. State Department spokesperson Hea­ther Nauert told a news briefing on Thursday that the administration “will roll out” the plan but did not say when.

Senator McCain visited Pakistan and Afghanistan last month with a team of senior US lawmakers and in an interview to PTV emphasised the importance of Pakistan’s support for US efforts to end the Afghan war.

While announcing his new strategy, Senator McCain criticised both Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, saying: “President Obama’s ‘don’t lose’ strategy has put us on a path to achieving the opposite result. Now, nearly seven months into President Trump’s administration, we’ve had no strategy at all as conditions on the ground have steadily worsened.”

Mr McCain said the goal of this strategy was to “ensure that Afghanistan never again becomes a sanctuary for terrorists to plot and conduct attacks against America, our allies, or our interests”.

His integrated civil-military plan for Afghanistan suggests the following strategic objectives:

Deny, disrupt, degrade, and destroy the ability of terrorist groups to conduct attacks against the United States, its allies, or its core interests.

Prevent the Taliban from using military force to overthrow the government of Afghanistan and reduce the Taliban’s control of the Afghan population.

Improve the capability and capacity of the Afghan government to the extent of feasible and practicable to defeat terrorist and insurgent groups as well as sustainably and independently provide security throughout Afghanistan.

Establish security conditions in Afghanistan necessary to encourage and facilitate a negotiated peace process that supports Afghan political reconciliation and an eventual diplomatic resolution to the conflict in Afghanistan.

Forge a regional diplomatic consensus in support of the long-term stabilisation of Afghanistan through integration into regional patterns of political, security, and economic cooperation.

Bolster US counterterrorism efforts by: Increasing the number of US counterterrorism forces in Afghanistan.

Providing the US military with status-based targeting authorities against the Taliban, the Haqqani Network, Al Qaeda, the Islamic State and other terrorist groups.

Pursuing a joint agreement to secure a long-term, open-ended counterterrorism partnership between the United States and the Afghan government, with an enduring US counterterrorism presence in Afghanistan.

Improving the military capability and capacity of the Afghan national forces against the Taliban and other terrorist groups by:

Establishing US military training and advisory teams and significantly increasing US air power and other critical combat enablers to support Afghan operations.

Providing sustained support to Afghan forces by providing key enabling capabilities, including intelligence, logistics, special forces, air lift, and close air support.

Strictly conditioning further US military, economic, and governance assistance programmes to the Afghan government upon measurable progress in achieving joint US-Afghan benchmarks for institutional reforms, especially those related to anti-corruption, financial transparency, and rule of law.

On DawnNews

Comments (27) Closed

Frank

Aug 12, 2017 08:26am

So there is some strategy after all? Good one.

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Feroz

Aug 12, 2017 08:35am

President Trump and his administration are carrying out a review process and taking months to finalize the recommendations. What McCain says or does not relevant but the thinking between him and the current administration is unlikely to be very different. In a rapidly evolving world Pakistan seems to be the only country which remains stuck in quicksand and unable to move or adapt. Hoping to continue on the same path believing new friend Russia and old friend China will play the role of saviours is pushing luck too far. These countries have their own game plan and objective which may not be in sync or aligned with Pakistan. Everyone fishing together in troubled waters does not predict a rosy outcome.

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Lalu

Aug 12, 2017 08:36am

Stupidity: Doing the same over and over again but expecting different results.

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casper hughes

Aug 12, 2017 09:23am

Best of luck with that, US and NATO will never understand the dynamics of Pak Afghan area. Pakistan will never compromise its national interest at any cost. The strategy of carrot and stick is an old one nothing new except adding more countries for mutual corporation in Afghanistan. Pakistan has already enough experience with US partnership so if Pakistan is abandoned again she will survive like before.

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Bukhari

Aug 12, 2017 10:03am

Always hegemonic attitude of US towards us.

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NKAli

Aug 12, 2017 10:21am

All said and done Mr. McCain. In fact, the US has an undisclosed agenda and parked itself in a country by virtue of its military strength.
With hi-class training of its troops in all spheres of military activity, what has it achieved in almost seventeen years? Your main objective of getting Osama bin Laden is over...then why are you still occupying a country almost 10,000 thousand miles from your shores?
Your changing objectives keep on failing, which adds to your emotional and monetary frustrations. Good luck on withdrawing.

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asif

Aug 12, 2017 10:34am

Americans really need a better thinker and stratiger.

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Naqeeb

Aug 12, 2017 10:34am

Let's see

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Khalid

Aug 12, 2017 10:46am

We have completely screwed our good relation with US because of wrong doing and inaction. Needless to say we don't have any policy. Now US see us with suspicious eye.

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Sammy

Aug 12, 2017 10:49am

Senator John McCain is no where in government decision. He is gone long ago.

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Larkanavi

Aug 12, 2017 11:27am

US is looking for a face saving exit strategy.

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SAEED MASOOD

Aug 12, 2017 11:48am

America will still not win the Afghanistan War....Get India out and ask Pakistan to help...that will get better results.

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fida Hussain

Aug 12, 2017 11:53am

the underestimating of Iran, will be the failure to that of long term plan . you can't ignore once geopolitical position .

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Mahmud

Aug 12, 2017 11:56am

Two elements cannot be ignored if the desire is peace in Afghanistan:
1. An inclusive policy, meaning, talk with the Main local players who have long term stakes.
2. Accept and include Pakistan as a Major factor of interest as it is a direct neighbor. Indian involvement should be reduced as they are not direct neighbors.
Nothing else can work to bring peace.

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THiru

Aug 12, 2017 02:55pm

@Mahmud Germany and Japan or France and South Korea are not direct neighbours - would you try telling them that they should leave Japan and South Korea to be dictated by Kim Un Jung?

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Raka

Aug 12, 2017 03:26pm

@Mahmud , foolish stupid man, this was the policy which u said adopted by US , result of which they could not get results they want . Now they are changing.

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alba

Aug 12, 2017 03:45pm

Let us be honest in saying Pakistan is not a friend of the United States.

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alba

Aug 12, 2017 03:50pm

@Sammy ,.... That is quite untrue. McCain sunk Trump's health care bill on the US senate floor just last week. He was the Republican vote the Democrats needed.

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Sami

Aug 12, 2017 03:53pm

Lol same old already failed strategy to win the American war in Afghanistan. They really don't need to sanction Pakistan but all they need to do is ask Afghanistan to secure its borders with their every neighbouring country & take action against foreign terrorists in Afghanistan !

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Justice NARADA MUNI

Aug 12, 2017 03:58pm

Where is Mr Sartaj Aziz these days?. and what is his official designation and duty?, Anyone knows?

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Ajay Patil

Aug 12, 2017 04:03pm

@Mahmud You mean keep on delivering billion $ as partner right?

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AHAQ

Aug 12, 2017 04:04pm

He is providing a middle course of action, while the anti-Pakistan hawks and the President and his adviser would like to impose sanctions asap

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ali

Aug 13, 2017 01:16am

At the end of the day, it will be Pakistan, and to a degree Iran, who will decide on partnering with Afghanistan and coming up with a way forward. In the long term, this is the only way.

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Han gee

Aug 13, 2017 05:29am

Pakistan has done a lot fighting terrorism, has lost many lives, suffered a great deal economically. What else you want?

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Zak

Aug 14, 2017 02:57am

Every time they increase sanctions, we should retribute in their access to Afghanistan. Let them face another Vietnam.

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IND

Aug 14, 2017 09:17am

If India is not isolated from Afghanistan, It will be another Vietnam for US.

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Arshad

Aug 14, 2017 12:36pm

It is pursuing same old objectives with repeated failed strategy. US is continuously disregarding the policy of non- intervention outlined by its founding leaders.